fishers, surfers and casters

‘Athens’ on the net is an interesting read on the rhetoric of Internet use, social connections and democracy, against what we know of the Internet and social change. It’s set against a reading of the documentary, “Us Now”, which is also available online.

Us Now from Banyak Films on Vimeo.

The Pew Research Project has a couple of good research publications online at the moment.

• The Internet and Civil Engagement report makes the claim that while the Internet is not changing the relationship between socio-economic status and civic participation, there are signs that blogs and social networking sites are helping youth become more politically vocal.
• The Teens and Mobile Phones report talks about the rise in ownership and use of mobile technology by youth. The rise is apparently faster than that of older people, to show that the gap between young and old is closing.

Dr Campbell is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University and one of the world’s leading scholars in religion and online media. Her research has taken her from inner urban life in Glasgow through mainstream churches in Auckland to where religion, history and politics collide in Israel.

Heidi’s teaching and research centres on the social shaping of technology, rhetoric of new media, and themes related to the intersection of media religion and culture, with a special interest in the internet and mobile phones. She has written a book Exploring Religious Community Online: We are one in the network looking at how members of online religious communities connect their online and offline social-religious networks. Her current research is an investigation of Jewish, Muslim & Christian communities’ historic perceptions and contemporary use of media technologies, forthcoming as a text When Religion Meets New Media.

For those who have any interest in how online technology is shaping how people are seeing and interacting with the world, or want to know how creative uses of new technologies are making new opportunities for people to connect, grow and learn, this is a chance to have questions explored.

Heidi is also keen to hear stories of Australians who have tried out religion on the Internet, whether the experience is good or bad or somewhere in between. Come along and share with her what the 21st century Australian spirit sounds and smells like.

Date:
Monday 12 October 2009. 7pm.

Venue:
Pireaus Blues Restaurant, 310 Brunswick St Fitzroy (Melbourne). Sit-down dinner, a la carte (Main prices from $15 to $30).

RSVP:
Friday 9 October to paul@teusner.org

The Media and Religion Research Fellowship Project page is now live here. Click for a goofy photo of me, as well as finding out what fantastic work these guys have done.